Charging and discharging of automatic ovens, proofing-chambers, and the like.



L. C. REESE. CHARGING AND DISCHARGING 0F AUTOMATIC OVENS, PROOFING CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. I916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR. Zia/1' y? (I L. C. REESE. CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OEAUTOMATIC OVENS, PRGOFING CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, I916.

Patented Mar. 2 7

3 S H E E TS-S H E INVENTOR.

"L. C. REESE.

CHARGING AND mscrmncmc or AUTOMATIC OVENS, PROOFING CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICAIION FILED FEB. 28. 1316.

Patnted Mar. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- TUT' %TATE% PATENT @FFTQE.

LOUIS cHAnL s REESE, or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

CHARGING AND DISCHARGIN G F AUTOMATIC OVENS, PROOFIlVG-CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

naeonse.

Specification of Letters Patent. v Patented Mam, 27, 1917.,

Application filed. February 28, 1916. Serial N6. 81,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that'I, LOUIS CHARnEs REES residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Charging and Discharging of Automatic Ovens, Proofing-Chambers, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

' efl'ective and economlc manner.-

To this end, I place the articles to be treated or the containers holding them on trays which may also be formed by joining rows of these containers by suitable means as iron bands, and suspend these trays fromthe chains carrying them through the apparatus by devices consisting of two parts automatically engaging with and disengaging from each other, one part of these sus pending devices being connected to the tray and working together with the other part vices used in the example described in this specification are composed of hooks attached to the trays and of rods or bars (herein called crossr0ds) connecting the chains and adapted for the hooks to catch over. These crossrods are preferably mounted rotatably in the chains or in blocks or the like attached thereto.

The loaded trays are conveyed into the apparatus by automatic means, usually an ordinary endless-band-convey'er, to a point so determined and arranged that the crossrods connectingthe chains, while passing upward in close proximity to the tray 0n the conveyer, are bound to engage with the hooks attached to the tray, .and thus the tray will be picked up from the conveyer, lifted upward and then carried through the apparatus.

- The trays are discharged from the latter by depositing them on their downward passage on automatic means for carrying them away, usually an endless-band-conveyer, passing underneath at a point so determined and arranged thatthe hooks attached to the tray are bound to disconnect themselves from the crossrods connecting the chains, while traveling downward, whereupon the chains with the empty crossrods and the disconnected trays are quickly removed in different directions, the conveyer taking away the trays being so constructed and traveling with such velocity that they cannot inter fere with the chains, their appendixes or any other obstacles. At the, charging and discharging points of the apparatus preferably sprocket wheels are installed for the chains to run over in order to give to the latter, to the suspending devices and to the trays just picked up or to be disconnected, ample stability and the proper direction.

The feedingdevices used hitherto for this kind of apparatus made it necessary that the chains were stopped while the trays were charged or discharged, and the unavoidable consequences were jerks and shocks liable greatly to damage the more or less soft goods in appearance, shape and size. This was especially the case in of this class.

The accompanying drawings, which serve for more fully explaining the novel features and devices and the working of the invenautomatic baking ovens tion, show the arrangement in its application attached to the chains! The suspending deas inFig. 1, the connection to the chains and the wheel-supports of the crossrods.

F ig, 3 represents an arrangement for transferring trays provided with doublehooks as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, from a proof ing chamber to an oven, and Fig. t an arrangement for discharging the same from the latter.

The tray A consists of two rows of pans, a, containing the dough pieces to be roofed or baked. The pans are connected y iron bands, 0t arranged at their longer sides and a at their shorter sides, The crosspiece a,

(Fig. 2) serves tostifi'en the structure. In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 the tray A is provided at each narrow side with the stays B and B, bearing the double hook C adapted with either downward-bentarm, 0 or 0 to catch over the crossrod D connected at each end to the endless chains H and- H carrying the trays through the apparatus. The stays B and B are fixed to the iron bands a and end in circular plates 6 and 6 provided with the stops and 6 The pin 7),, passing through the center of the circular plates 1; and 6 holds the stays B and B together, leaving sufiicient room between them for the ring 0 of the hook C to turn and thus to regulate the position of the hook C 1n regard to the tray A so that the latter is kept hor1- zontal, may either arm, 0 or 0 be used to suspend the tray from the crossrod D connecting the chalns H and H In order to prevent the tray from moving more freely than is necessary to obtain theresult described and to avoid any possiblhty of its being upset, the oscillations of the stem 0 of the hook C are limited by the stops 6, and 6 The arms 0 and '0 of the hooks C are arranged opposite to each other and vertical to the tray A and the crossrod D. Both the arms '0 and c and the crossrod D are so constructed that the former turn easily around the latter when the same is turned in its circuitous travel through the apparatus, the trays thus remaining always in a horizontal position.

The crossrod D is rotatably mounted in the chains H and H which it connects, and rests between the latter and the hooks G, Ci -leaving sufficient play for the tray on the loose wheels E and E which revolve freely around D and run in the grooves f for E and f, for E of the rails F and F The latter are supported by the brackets G and G fixed to the walls or structure of the apparatus.

The rails F and F carry in this way the crossrod D and with it the chains H'and H and the tray A, while these chains travel more or less horizontally. When the direction of the chains is altered more or less to the vertical, or from the latter to the horizontal again, the crossrods, wheels and trays are carried by the chains H and H running over and supported by the teeth of sprocketwheels in the well known manner of apparatus of this kind.

In Fig. 3, 0 represents diagrammatically thesprocketwheel around which the chains H travel inside an oven before its charging opening, and P the sprocketwheel for the chains H before the discharging opening in a proofing chamber situated alongside the oven. The sprocketwheel O revolves around the axle 0, and the sprocketwheel P around the axle p, both moving in the same direction as shown by the arrows. I is a horizontal endless-band-conveyer driven by the L, L turning easily around their axles Z, Z

supported by the bracket M. The carrying plane of the rollers L, L is slightly inclined from the conveyer I in a downward direction so that the trays arriving there from the latter easily slip down against the crossbar N and thus attain the correct position for the arms 0 of the hooks O to slip over the crossrods traveling upward toward the same.

In the proofing chamber the chains H carrying the trays containing the fully proofed dough pieces ready for the oven,

travel at first vertically downward, and then around the sprocketwheel'P, where the trays V are deposited on the conveyer I underneath,

whereupon the chains take the empty crossrods to the charging place of the proofing chamber, to be reloaded with 'fresh trays. In order that the crossrods easily disengage from the hooks C when the trays reach the conveyer, I, the trays are suspended from the crossrods by the arms 0 of the hooks C.

When in its downward passage in the proofing chamber "the tray A reaches the position I of its crossrod D the preceding tray A with its crossrod D has just attained the position II and is being dropped on the conveyer I, and the empty crossrod D, has

reached the position III of the proofing chamber.

The tray A -which, while in the proofing chamber, has been attached to the crossrod,

D has at the same time reached the position I within the oven, and resting on the roller platform L against the support N, is just being picked up by the crossrod D engaging the arms 6 of the hooks G of thetray. The

tray A which entered the oven previously to the tray A has been lifted by the cross rod D travelingupward onto the position II in the oven, while the empty crossrod D is moving toward the platform L, ready to pick up and lift the tray A as soon as it has arrived from the proofing chamber at the position I in the oven.

This cycle of operations is. repeated continuously. For the exact working of the arrangement it isof course-essential that the conveyer I travels with the correct speed for the rays coming from the proofing chamher to be picked up by the crossrods in the to each other.

aaoaae oven, a result which easily can be attained by well known means.

'The trays. can only be attached to the crossrods which have to carry them, when the opening of the hooks to engage with these crossrods, is turned toward the same, and the latter move in an upward direction toward the said hooks. After having been lifted from the conveyer or roller platform, the trays are at once carried upward to be out of the path of the followingcrossrods and trays. The conveyer bringing the trays to the charging point and the empty crossrods ready to engage the hooks of the trays travel therefore always in opposite direction As the crossrods and hooks turn during their travel through the apparatus in order to keep the trays always upright and horizontal, the openings of the hooks will always point in the same direction as that in which they were placed over the crossrods.

In order to discharge the trays, the chains and crossrods from which the trays are suspended, must travel downward, not only until the trays-have been deposited on the conveyer underneath, but until the crossrods are quite out of reach of the hooks.

If, as in Fig. 3 showing the discharge of the trays from the proofing cabinet, the arms of the hooks which connect the descending trays to the crossrods, point toward the interior of the discharging sprocketwheel P, the disengaged crossrods travel at oncein opposite direction to that of the conveyer taking the disengaged trays away, and the exact velocity of this conveyer is immaterial as long as it runs quickly enough to obtain the desired result. But, when, as in Fig. 4, the arms of the hooks which conmeet the descending trays to the crossrods point outward the discharging sprocketwheel, the disengaged crossrods and the conveyer taking the disconnected trays away, move in the beginning in the same direction,

and in this case the arrangement and movements of the conveyer must be such as to prevent the trays, its accessories and the crossrods from interfering with each other. Fig. 4 shows the latter arrangement. 0 represents diagrammatically the discharging sprocketwheel of the oven, revolving around its axle 0,. The chains H travel in the direction of the arrows, downward at the right hand side of the sprocketwheel where the trays containing the baked bread ready to leave the oven, arrive, then around the lower part of the sprocketwheel O,and upward at the left hand side where the crossrods are empty. The conveyer carrying away the disconnected trays from underneath the sprocketwheel 0,, consists of two parts :a quickly moving endless-bandconveyer Q worked in the ordinary way by rollers of which in the drawing that nearest to the sprocketwheel, R, rotated around 'as they were charged into the oven, see

Fig. 3.

When the upmost, arriving tray A suspended from the crossrod D, is at the position I, the preceding tray A suspended from the crossrod D is in the position II, just settling down on the roller-conveyer Q,. At the same time the tray A which preceded A,, has been disconnected from the crossrod D,, isin position III on the band conveyer Q, being quickly carried away, and the crossrod D is in position III on the sprocketwheel, while the preceding empty crossrod D is at the position IV, traveling upward to thecharging point of the oven.

The carrying surfaces of the conveyers Q and Q, are arranged at such a distance underneath the discharging sprocketwheel 0,, and the endless-band-conveyer Q is rotated at such a speed that the empty crossrods passing on the chain H around the lower part of the sprocketwheel 0, cannot interfere with the trays A or their hooks C movlng on the conveyers in the same direction.

When in the position II on the sprocketwheel the tray A had settled on the roller conveyer Q, and, traveling along the same, pushed by its disconnected crossbar D arrived at the position III" on Q1, the crossbar D, was in the position III on the sprocketwheel and completely free from the hook C in any position of its arms 0, and 0 as shown in doted lines. The tray A then entered at once the conveyer Q which quickly moved into the position III thereon, thus leaving far behind at the position III the disconnected crossbar D which has the last chance of interfering with the hooks of the tray A when at the position III.

When the crossbar D was at the position III on the sprocketwheel, the previously disconnected crossbar D, was at the position IV thus beyond any. possibility of colliding with the tray A or its hooks. The same result maybe obtained by other means; for instance the gravity conveyer may be omitted, the endless-band-conveyer prolonged accordingly instead and arranged to travel with two speeds slowlywith the same velocity as the crossbars move on the sprocket wheel between the positions II and III", and quickly when the latter point has been reached so that the tray is in position III on the conveyor when the crossbar has arrived at the position III on the sprocketwheel. I

I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of the devices shown in Fig. '4 or in any other of the accompanying drawings, as the same may be varied without leaving the principles of their construction and arrangement as defined in the claims attached to this specifi cation.

When a single apparatus is to be charged and discharged, a single hook will serve both operations; but when a tray is tobe transferred from one apparatus to another one adjoining it, as shown in Fig. 3, a;

trays in a horizontal position, and of con-- veyers arranged in the apparatus at points, Where the hooks of the trays situated on .the said conveyers are bound to engage with and disengage from the said crossrods.

2. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to each end of the trays and adapted to automatically engage with and disengage from crossrods rotatably mounted in and connecting the two chains traveling in the same direction and at the same speed through the apof the apparatus for leading the trays holdparatus, and conveyers arranged therein at points, Where the hooks of the trays situated on the said conveyers are bound to engage with and disengage from the said crossrods. Y i

3. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to each end of the trays, of crossrods rotatably mounted at their ends in and connecting two chains traveling through the apparatus in the same direction and at the same speed, the said crossrods being so adapted and arranged that the hooks of the said trays engage with the said crossrods, when the-latter pass by in an upward direction, and that the hooks of the said trays disengage from the said crossrods, when the latter pass by in a downward direction;

4.. In devices for charging anddischarging apparatus of the kind descrlbed, the combination with the trays holding the articles ,to be treated, ofhooks attached to the said trays, of crossrods rotatably mounted in and connecting the chains moving'the trays through the apparatus, of loose wheels rotatably mounted on the said crossrods, of rails supporting these wheels and so ar-,

ranged in the apparatus as to secure to the chalns the right direction of travel and stability, and of conveyers arranged in the apparatus at points where. the hooks of the trays, when on the said conveyers, are bound to engage with the said crossbars passing by in an upward direction, and to disengage from the said crossbars passing by in a downward direction. j

5'. In devices for charging and discharging-apparatus of the kind described, the;

combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to the ends of these trays, ofcrossrods rotatably mounted in and connecting two parallel endless chains moving the trays through, the apparatus, and adapted and arranged to engage with and disengage from the hooks of V. the trays, of loose Wheels rotatably mounted on the said crossrods and running in the grooves of rails supported by brackets fixed to the framework of the apparatus and thus carrying the chains, crossbars and trays, and of sprocket wheels over which the chains run, when changing their direction, and then carrying the crossrods, loose wheels and trays, one or several of these sprocketwheels being rotated by suitable driving means and thus propelling the chains through the apparatus, one sprocketwheel .being arranged at the charging point of the apparatus for leading the empty crossrods upward in order to engage with the hooks of the trays carried'into the apparatus by a conveyer, and another-sprocketwheel being placed at the discharging point ingthe treated articles downward, in order to disengage their hooks from the crossrods of'the chains and to deposit the trays being disconnected on the conveyor taking them out of the apparatus.

with and disengage from the hooks of the said trays, and of conveyers carrying the articles to be treated into and the treated articles out of the apparatus and consisting of pass by, when the trays are to be connected to the said crossrods, in an upward direction, and when the trays are to be disconnected from the said crossrods, in a downward direction.

7. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of stays fixed-two to each end of these trays and ending in circular plates, of double hooks consisting of two opposite equal arms and provided with a circular opening at the end of their stem, of pins, each connecting two of the said stays and carrying between the latter the said hook by the opening in its stem, of stops provided at the circular top-plates of the hooks to limit the play of the latter to that necessary for keeping the trays in a horizontal position, may one or the other of the arms of the said hooks be used, and of crossrods rotatably mounted at their ends in and connecting two endless parallel chains carrying the trays through the apparatus, and adapted and arranged to engage with or disengage from either arm of the said double hooks.

8. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to the trays, of crossrods rotatably mounted in and connecting two parallel, endless chains moving the trays through the apparatus, of

sprocketwheels driven by suitable means and propelling the chains, of means for supporting the trays to be charged into the apparatus, of a sprocketwheel arranged above the said support at such a point that the empty crossrods led upward by the said sprocketwheel engage with the hooks of and thus pick up the trays on the said sup-. port, of a conveyer taking the trays holding the treated articles out of the apparatus and of a sprocketwheel arranged above the said conveyer at such a point that the crossrods with the trays suspended therefrom led downward by the said sprocketwheel disengage from the hooks of the trays settling on and carried away by the said conveyer.

9. In devices for transferring articles from one apparatus to another apparatus of the kind described, the combination with trays holding the articles, of two systemsone for each apparatusof parallel endless chains propelled by sprocketwheels at the required speed and carrying the trays through their respective apparatus, of crossrods rotatably mounted in and connecting the said chains, of books attached to the trays, of a sprocketwheel leading the crossrods carrying the trays with the treated articles downward before the outlet of the first apparatus, of a sprocketwheel arranged inside the second apparatus before its charging opening and leading the empty crossrods upward, and of a conveyer traveling in the direction from the first to the second apparatus and arranged at one end underneath the discharging sprocketwheel of the first apparatus at such a point that the hooks of the trays settling on and carried away by the conveyer disconnect from the crossrods move away in a downward direction and are unable to interfere with the said trays, and at the other end underneath the charging sprocketwheel of the second apparatus at such a point that the hooks of the trays on the said conveyer engage with the empty crossrods traveling upward, the trays thus being lifted upwar into the second apparatus for being treated therein.

LOUIS CHARLES REESE. Witnesses:

CARL FLETSGHER ARGHIBALD E. IIULeRovE. 

